Construction Crew Leader - 2024-25

Posting Description

Construction Crew Leader

For one year, get paid to build sustainable solutions in a community, gain valuable hands-on experience and prepare for your future. This full-time AmeriCorps service position offers a great opportunity to make an impact in the lives of others while building your own knowledge and skillset.

AmeriCorps National members serve the community in direct service and capacity building activities.

What will you do?

The construction crew leader plays an integral part in building and repairing homes. Lead groups of skills and unskilled volunteers and homeowner families in construction activities while maintaining a safe, efficient work environment, thus, developing and enhancing your volunteer management and construction skills.

• Typically serve Tuesday - Saturday on the build site.

• Assist with all aspects of hands-on construction tasks including, but not limited to, demolition, site prep, framing, insulation, drywall, flooring, roofing, finish carpentry and landscaping.

• Projects may include new construction, rehabilitation, critical home repair and weatherization projects.

• Lead small groups of volunteers and facilitate safe and positive experiences for everyone working on site.

• Maintain site safety by adhering to Habitat construction safety policies, modeling best practices and guidelines, volunteer education and site monitoring.

This position will focus on home construction aspects of Habitat affiliate operations.

Where will you serve?

• Organization name: Habitat for Humanity Orange County

• Nearest metropolitan area: Raleigh-Durham, NC

• Full-time staff: 30

• Expected number of AmeriCorps members: 5

• Number of homes to be built: 22

• Activities and attractions: Beaches and the Atlantic coast are 2.5 hours to the east, and the Blue Ridge mountains are 3 hours to the west! Raleigh and Durham, NC are within a 20-30-minute drive of our office and both offer a plethora of city amenities.

• Unique projects: Our current strategic focus is Weavers Grove, which began in July 2023. As the largest project in our 40-year history, we continue to need to rethink our volunteer and construction strategy with this new 237-home community. Prior to Weavers Grove, we built about 12-14 homes per year. Now, we are building 20 homes per year. Weavers Grove itself will take an estimated 5-years to complete. This is a marked increase which will require greater volunteer and AmeriCorps support. We anticipate a heavy level of community participation in Weavers Grove, and our AmeriCorps Construction and Volunteer Coordinator members will prove to be a critical part of meeting this logistical challenge.

In addition to this higher level of new home construction, we are also increasing our level of Home Preservation (the program in which we repair/upgrade non-Habitat homes in Orange County). This has gained particular attention as we are facing more and more seniors in Orange County who are attempting to age-in-place, but lack the resources to provide much needed upgrades and repairs to their homes. With the help of our AmeriCorps Construction (Repairs) member, we can better meet this growing need. For all of these increased goals, our AmeriCorps construction and volunteer coordinator members will prove critical to their success. The experience they gather will be memorable and indispensable, and it will greatly help us manage increased volunteerism, maintain building/repair deadlines, and increase our overall capacity to provide more affordable homes and repairs each year. Our current and past AmeriCorps members have been such crucial and forward-facing members of our organization, and we would not be where we are without them.

Benefits of AmeriCorps service

• Living allowance of $18,700 for approximately 10 ½ months of service.

• Segal Education Award of $7,395, upon successful completion of service (lifetime maximum of two full education awards).

• Forbearance for most federally-guaranteed student loans.

• Health care benefits and enrollment in Employee Assistance Plan.

• Personal and medical leave - approximately 10 days total.

• Personal and professional development opportunities.

• Child care benefits, if you qualify.

• Worker's compensation insurance.

Supplemental Benefits

• Housing stipend paid directly to your landlord ($500 per month)

Minimum Requirements

Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, national or lawful permanent resident at least 18 or older and have a high school diploma or GED.

What are we looking for?

Our ideal candidates:

• Are passionate about serving the community through direct service.

• Demonstrate respect for diversity of opinion, experience, and background.

• Desire to gain hands-on experience in the affordable housing and nonprofit sector.

• Have experience working on a team.

• Possess stellar interpersonal communication skills.

• Are motivated and committed to serve full time and in person.